The present invention relates generally to concrete building construction, and more particularly, to a modular structural system for constructing buildings that utilizes hexagonal-shaped floor and ceiling members and rectangular wall members. A plurality of the hexagonal floor members may be laid side by side in a nesting relationship with a plurality of wall members and corresponding ceiling members completing a multiple room structure. The system can be expanded to provide any reasonable number of hexagonal-shaped rooms per floor and is capable of having additional stories. Architectural features such as surface texture, window and door openings and the like can be included within the structural integrity limits of the members. The floor, ceiling and wall members may be fabricated from conventionally reinforced concrete and can be either site or shop cast.
The structural floor, ceiling and wall members have protruding hairpin or U-shaped reinforcing bars cast in their edges so that adjacent members may be structurally tied together by inserting a bar through the protruding loops that overlap. The inserted bar is grouted in place along with the loops to complete the structure.
The modular construction system of the present invention enables buildings to be constructed using a small number of standardized component parts. The fabricating of these parts requires the use of fewer forms than for conventional multi-level, multi-room buildings. The hexagonal shape of the individual rooms, as opposed to standard rectangular floor patterns, also gives the finished structure improved lateral stability and lessens the danger of progressive collapse. The hexagonal shape also inherently provides an interlocking effect between the nested floor members that results in improved resistance to lateral forces as compared to standard rectangular floor patterns in conventional modular systems. This improved resistance to lateral forces very closely approximates the horizontal rigidity of a monolithic structure.
The hexagonal shape provides greater resistance to lateral forces since, due to the interlocking nature of the hexagonal slabs, such forces are typically spread throughout a greater horizontal floor area than in rectangular precast construction systems. The hexagonal shape also converts lateral forces into axial forces on all the wall members and distributes such forces by repeatedly splitting such forces due to the discontinuous nature of the lines of connection between adjacent floor members and contiguous walls.
The unique construction system of the present invention provides a modular construction system for mass producing buildings with improved structural strength over conventionally known modular systems due to the interlocking hexagonal nature of adjacent floor and ceiling members. These buildings are mass produced at a reduced cost while obtaining structures of uniform construction and superior integrity. The reduced cost inures from the use of two simple standardized components, i.e. hexagonal floor and ceiling members, and rectangular wall members whose length corresponds to the sides of the hexagonal floor and ceiling members.